


Up In The Air (Down to Earth remix)

by hannelore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, F/F, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-01
Updated: 2015-02-01
Packaged: 2018-03-09 22:47:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3267197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannelore/pseuds/hannelore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pomona has had a crush on Minerva McGonagall ever since they became colleagues at Hogwarts. When Augusta discovers that Minerva's lover has been sleeping with other women, she encourages Pomona to seize the moment and confess her feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Up In The Air (Down to Earth remix)

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Down to Earth](https://archiveofourown.org/works/482264) by [kelly_chambliss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kelly_chambliss/pseuds/kelly_chambliss). 



> Many thanks to Delphi for the beta (and to pauraque for the title!). Any additional errors are my own. Many grateful thanks to Kelly_chambliss for allowing her fics to be remixed and also to woldy for hosting Femslash_remix!

Once the last student had left the greenhouse, Pomona sighed and put her hands on her hips to survey the mess. A glove here, a broken pot there: she knew she ought to make them clean up properly but students never set things back the way she wanted them. Pomona grunted as she bent down to pick up the clay shards -- her back was feeling worse for wear these days -- when suddenly an owl beat its wings against the greenhouse door. Albus was always asking her to leave an opening in the greenhouse for the blasted things, but she hated the droppings.

She recognized Augusta's handwriting on the envelope and sat down on a stool, preparing herself for several pages' worth of gossip but the note was uncharacteristically short.

_See me._

\---

"You know how Quidditch girls are," Pomona said. "They're always hanging all over each other. What makes you think it was anything but that?"

Augusta snorted, clanging her her spoon noisily against the inside of her teacup as she stirred. A sure sign of her agitation.

"There was certainly something there," Augusta said. She peered at Pomona over the edge of her cup before she took a small sip. "If you don't tell Minerva, _I_ will."

Pomona stared down at her tea, not having even bothered to pour the milk yet. Augusta cleared her throat, clearly wanting more response out of Pomona for revealing such salacious news.

"Don't look so smug," Pomona said, spooning sugar into her tea. "If you hadn't been following her --"

"I wasn't following her!" Augusta exclaimed, holding a hand to her chest in an affronted manner. Pomona raised an eyebrow. "Fine, I was curious... but you have to admit it's better we found out before she did."

"What makes you think Minerva doesn't know?"

\---

It was obvious that Augusta hadn't been able to keep her gossip to herself. One evening at supper, Pomona noticed Minerva was quiet and sullen as she ate. Pomona couldn't help glancing toward Rolanda at the table, who was animatedly having a conversation with an oblivious Filius. Minerva looked so miserable that Pomona couldn't help speaking up.

"Everything quite all right, Minerva?"

Minerva blinked suddenly as if she had suddenly dozed off. "Yes, quite fine, thank you."

"It's been some time you've been to the greenhouses," Pomona said. She suddenly detested the sound of her chipper voice. Surely Minerva would see through the small talk. 

Minerva drew in a sharp breath as she dropped her silverware on the plate with a clatter. It startled Pomona, but in the noisy Great Hall no one else noticed.

"Been busy," Minerva said. She snatched the napkin from her lap and tossed it onto her mostly untouched plate. "Excuse me."

Only a few of the staff seemed to notice Minerva leave, but out of the corner of Pomona's eye she saw Rolanda watch her go. Rolanda drew her lips into a thin, tight line but then smiled broadly as she laughed at Filius's joke.

\---

"You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you?"

"She had a right to know," Augusta said. "Wouldn't have you wanted to know if it had been you?"

Pomona had no answer. She had never had a lover who had cheated on her. The truth was, she had no one at all. Pomona had once thought perhaps Poppy was making more than just friendly overtures toward her, but she had no idea whether she was simply being pleasant.

"Bah!" Augusta said as she finished up her tea. "This is why you're still alone, Pomona."

"What a terribly awful thing to say," Pomona said, shaken. Her chest tightened and she felt very claustrophobic in the small Hogsmeade cafe all of a sudden. She set her teacup down upon the saucer and it rattled a little in her trembling hand.

"It _is_ an awful thing to say," Augusta said. "But I'm saying it to you because you are not getting any younger, my dear. Take a chance! Minerva certainly did. Are you going to carry this torch for her to your deathbed?"

"Maybe I shall," Pomona said fiercely. "I wish I'd never told you."

Augusta looked quite contrite. She reached over and patted Pomona's hand.

"There's a reason you told me," Augusta said kindly. "Talk to Minerva. You'll feel better for it."

\---

Pomona waited until the very end of term before approaching Minerva. She had watched from the greenhouse as Minerva made her way down to the lake and then set after her, following at a distance. Once Minerva sat down in the grass, Pomona came alongside her and sat down. Minerva did not look at Pomona to greet her, nor did she tell her to leave.

"You don't have to let her get away with it," Pomona blurted out. "And don't you dare ask me 'get away with what?' With cheating on you."

"I beg your pardon..."

"No, _she_ should beg yours. Oh, stop acting like you don't understand what I'm talking about. I know how Rolanda is, how she finds other women, takes them to bed. She's not very subtle about it. But what I _don't_ know is why you put up with it."

They were looking at each other now; Pomona had clearly caught her off guard. Pomona felt her heart thudding in her chest and sweat started to bead underneath the brim of her hat. She hoped Minerva didn't notice how nervous she was.

"I..." Minerva said. "I don't know, Pomona."

Pomona couldn't bear to see Minerva so defeated. Augusta's accusations rang in her ears. _Pomona_ should have worked harder to win Minerva's heart, then Minerva wouldn't have fallen for such a fool of a girl like Rolanda.

"I don't know," Minerva said again. "I'm a coward."

"Nonsense." Pomona took Minerva's hands in hers. Such an easy gesture for a friend who sought only to comfort. "Now, I know this is none of my business, and when I'm finished, you can feel free to hex me, but... don't do it, Minerva. Not you. You're the fiercest that Gryffindor has to offer. Don't settle."

Pomona could feel Augusta as if she were a ghost over her shoulder, urging her to spill the secret longing that Pomona yearned to tell. But as she watched Minerva's face, Pomona imagined she could only be thinking of Rolanda. Even if Minerva did tell her everything, could she bear hearing how Minerva would do anything to stay with Rolanda? How much she loved Rolanda? Pomona decided she could not bear it.

She squeezed Minerva's hands gently and got up, heading back to the castle without another word.

"You're not the coward," Pomona whispered when she knew she was out of earshot. Minerva would not be able to see the single tear that tracked down Pomona's earth-smudged cheek. "I am."


End file.
